The Good Life

Today, I took Colton to the library for the first time. We went for "story time". I realized that I haven't been in the library, myself, for WAY too long. It always feels nostalgic when I walk into a library. I remember the old library in downtown Marshall . I remember the way the floor creaked. I remember the ramp walking in and the old (what my sister and I called the "secret") back door. I remember the stamps they put on the cards in the back. I remember searching through all the names on the card to see if anybody I knew had read that book before me! Ahhh, the good ole days. The Greene County Library has "story time" on Tuesday mornings at 10:30. I have to admit, I was a little nervous taking Colton because his attention span and "still time" is about 10-15 minutes (on a good day). He was a little wiggly and a lot distracted but overall, he did really well. Being in the library today made me realize, even more than normal, how techn...

We live in a world of confusion and pain. It's hard to watch the news - I rarely do. I hate talking politics and I get totally worked up over lots of issues that I don't agree with. I can agree to disagree (I guess). I live in a country where I can still pray and believe what I want. I can uphold a standard that I believe good and not be punished for it...or can I? I'm not sure. That is why I say, we live in a world full of confusion and pain. I'm not going to start a political debate here, but I do want to share what's on my heart. I pray for Colton every day. I pray that this cruel, dirty, messed up world won't dim that beautiful light I see inside of him. I pray that he is confident enough in what he believes, and in who he is, to be able to face those who bully, hurt, degrade and cause pain just out of ignorance and lack of Godliness. I pray for our president, he needs guidance and direction from our Heavenly Father. I pray for our country and our people. ...

Mondays! They get such a bad rap. I mean, if we got to pick which day of the week we could be, who would actually pick Monday? Nobody has anything good to say about Monday! A lot of people actually spend Sunday afternoon/evening dreading Monday. I actually feel kind of bad for the day. But, there is something about Mondays... This morning, Colton had his 18 month check up with Dr. Woods. Yep, we're only about 18 days late, but whatever. :-) Colton goes to Dr. Woods for his check ups, goes to the health department for his shots, he's had to see 2 different specialists and had a small, outpatient procedure done (in March) so he is not a fan of anything that even looks like a doctor's office/medical building/hospital. He is terrified of scrubs and, sadly, the nice women who are wearing them. He is very vocal, very stubborn, very dramatic (no idea where he gets that from...) and very, very strong for only being 1.5 years old. The entire drive to the office, I was telling Co...

My Mom sent me a link to "Scary Mommy". It's a blog written by Annie Reneau. The blog post was titled " Sometimes I Cry ". I did cry - reading it. With all of the emotions I have been feeling lately, I truly felt like I could've written that myself! It was everything I have been trying to spit out of myself over the past few weeks! I love how she says, "I cry little one, because the world's so big and you're so small...I cry because you're so big and I'm so small". Ugh, just thinking about the words she writes, makes me feel all teary eyed again. I've been struggling with Colton finding his independence and finding where I fit into everything! Annie writes "Sometimes I cry because in the process of gaining you, I gave up a version of me, and though I wouldn’t change that even if I could, sometimes I miss me desperately.".  This just hit me so hard. This is me! Right now...this.is.me! It's been a roller coaster ...

If you take a very active little boy (with red hair) who has never been a good sleeper and combine that with the 18 month sleep regression and add in a lot of strong will and independence you get a really tired Momma and Daddy. Matt and I have learned to deal with the fact that Colton has never been, and never will be one of those babies people talk about being "such a great sleeper. I put him to bed at 8 and he sleeps until 8 in the morning". But, he was actually sleeping about 7 hours a night and it was awesome!! The past 2 weeks have been horrible. I feel like we have a newborn all over again. I read some articles on "sleep regression". It seems that the 18 month sleep regression can be the hardest battle to face when it comes to sleep patterns/routines. I mean, Colton' last sleep regressions were difficult and exhausting enough, but this one at 18 months seems be one of the hardest. I think it's because there’s a discipline factor involved in this re...

"Just what is it about a lovey that's so appealing to kids? Usually, the lovey is a first stuffed animal or a blanket from the crib, so the child connects the lovey with feeling safe and comfortable," says Charlotte Reznick, Ph.D., a child educational psychologist and associate clinical professor emeritus at UCLA. Colton's "lovey" is his blue/white dog that we have had since before he was born. The dog is lovingly named...wait for it...dog! I had no idea, the day I placed that dog in Colton's bed oh so many months - going on a year ago, that he was going to love it as much as he does. Dog lost his ear a few weeks ago (well, it was hanging on by one string and losing stuffing). Thankfully, he has an awesome Mimi who sewed it back on. The strings are coming out of his feet and he is stained with chocolate milk, watermelon, snot, vitamin drops and love. Over the past month or so, the attachment that Colton has with his dog has gotten stronger and strong...

It's been a while since I've had the "want to" to sit and write something on here! I think I've just been too busy enjoying outside time with my little man and evenings with my big man. :-) You know, I have learned that (for me) life as a Mom is really a lot like a roller coaster! One minute, you're up and feeling great and the next you're at the bottom wishing you would've never gotten on the stupid ride. I have been dealing with a lot of ups and downs over the past month or so. I've just been adjusting to life - in general. I've been searching inside myself to try to deal with my issues. I'm finding outlets and activities to help me find my "routine"! Being a stay at home Mom, it's really easy to lose a routine altogether and I hate that feeling. It's a struggle to stay positive and upbeat when you feel tired and ragged! On a good note, I'm simply amazed at where my Rodan+Fields business has taken me. I've or...